Creative Director, Game Studio

$178,000 - $211,850/Yr

Unclassified - Bellevue, WA

Full-time - Senior

Hybrid - Bellevue, WA

About the position

The Creative Director at The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) will lead the creative team within the game studio, overseeing various disciplines including Design, Art, UX, UI, and Audio. This role is pivotal in shaping the long-term vision and creative strategy for TCG Live and future games produced by TPCi. The Creative Director will partner with studio leadership to establish and uphold core creative principles, ensuring that the team is aligned with strategic goals and empowered to produce their best work. This includes formulating and implementing creative processes that foster innovation and accessibility in gaming experiences. In addition to strategic oversight, the Creative Director will be responsible for effective communication and collaboration across teams. This involves conveying the established vision to key stakeholders, providing clear direction and feedback, and ensuring that creative assets align with product goals. Regular reviews of projects will be conducted to keep pace with market trends and maintain high standards of quality. Project management and leadership are also critical components of this role. The Creative Director will provide career management to a team of managers and individual contributors, demonstrating strong project management skills while inspiring creativity and passion within the team. Balancing creative needs with performance requirements and fan experiences will be essential to the success of the projects undertaken by the game studio.

Responsibilities

• Lead the creative team within the game studio, overseeing Design, Art, UX, UI, and Audio disciplines.
• Partner with studio leadership to set the long-term vision and creative strategy for TCG Live and future games.
• Formulate and implement creative processes that empower the team to excel in their work.
• Communicate the established vision to internal stakeholders, providing clear direction and feedback.
• Regularly review creative assets and functional implementations to ensure alignment with product goals.
• Provide career management to a team of managers and individual contributors within creative disciplines.
• Demonstrate strong project management skills and maintain a strategic overview of work in game design and related areas.
• Inspire passion and creativity within the team through motivational leadership.
• Balance creative needs with performance, visual appeal, scheduling, and fan experience requirements.

Requirements

• Twelve or more years of relevant professional experience, with at least five years in a management role.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities in managing teams and projects.
• Extensive experience in leading Design, User Experience, UI, Audio, and Art teams.
• Successfully shipped at least one major title in a leadership role.
• Ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience working in a highly matrixed environment and resolving organizational issues.
• Driven creative leader with exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong experience with Pokémon TCG and a deep understanding of the Pokémon brand.
• Experience with Unity is strongly desired.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in game accessibility and research and development.
• Familiarity with market trends in the gaming industry.
• Previous experience in a hybrid work environment.

Benefits

• 100% employer-paid healthcare premiums for employees.
• Generous paid family leave.
• Employer-paid life insurance.
• Employer-paid long and short-term income protection insurance.
• 401k with employer matching for US employees.
• Pension employer contributions for UK/IRE employees.
• Fitness reimbursement.
• Commuter benefit.
• Comprehensive relocation package.
• Hybrid work environment.